Protesters stand up to Cuomo's education reforms

Hundreds of public school students, parents and teachers across the city and state are locking hands to protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed education reforms.

Cuomo has recommended increasing overall spending on K-12 education by $1.1 billion, but only if lawmakers agree to his reforms, which include revised teacher evaluations and tougher tenure rules.

Teacher evaluations are among the most controversial changes. The governor's proposal calls for half of teachers' overall grade to be based on how well their students do on state exams. Many argue that standardized tests are not a good representation because every student learns differently.

Other aspects of Cuomo's plan include rewarding high performing teachers with performance pay, passing the Dream Act, continued support for 4-year-old pre-kindergarten and initiating it for 3-year-olds.

In addition, Cuomo is pushing for the authorization of more charter schools. Just last week, thousands of charter school supporters held their own rally backing his ideas.